As it was not impossible that he might be called upon to drive one or more
of Agnelli’s group that evening it had been deemed more prudent not to use
the Peugeot, where the presence of a police radio might have been
inadvertently discovered. Car papers and insurance were, of course, made
out in the name of Stephan Danilov.
‘What do you make of this hish connection, Peter?’
‘I have no idea, sir. We know, of course, that petty criminals
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have in the past sold Russian and other eastern bloc weapons to the Irish
Republican Army; but these, as I say, were petty criminals operating on a
relatively petty scale. This, I feel, is something much bigger. The IRA
never had any organization worth speaking of in this country. The FFF
definitely have. Where can I contact you later on this evening, sir?’
‘I wish you hadn’t mentioned that,’ de Graaf said gloomily. ‘Earlier, I had
hoped to spend it in the bosom of my family. But now? If the government
does decide to send an emissary to parley with the FFF – good heavens,
Peter, we completely forgot to listen in to the six o’clock news – the
broadcast, rather, that was to state when and where the government would
hold this parley.’
‘We’ve only to lift a phone. It’s of no significance.’
‘True. This emissary I mentioned. Who, do you think, is the logical
choice?’
‘The Minister of Justice?’
‘No other. My lord and master whom you have frequently, actionably and
accurately described as an old woman. Old women like, to have their hands
held. Who do you think would best play the part of nursemaid?’
‘You’d make an admirable choice. In fact, I’m happy to say that you would
be the inevitable choice. Don’t forget to take an umbrella big enough for
both of you.’ Rain had begun to fall and fall so heavily that the
Volkswagen’s wipers failed adequately to cope with it. ‘You should consider
yourself privileged, sir, to have a ringside seat at what may be, at least,
a minor turning point in history.’
‘I’d rather have my own armchair by my own fireside.’ De Graaf reduced
visibility even more by drawing heavily on his cheroot. ‘But whatever seat
I’m in tonight it’ll be a damned sight safer and more comfortable than the
one you’ll be in. Not that I would suppose for a moment that they have
armchairs in the palace cellars.’ De Graaf~ apparently concentrating on
increasing the blue fug inside the car, lapsed briefly into silence then
said: ‘I don’t like it, Peter. I don’t like it at all. Too many ifs, buts
and question marks.’
‘I have to admit that I’m not all that madly keen on it myself.
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But we’ve agreed – it’s our only way in. And there’s another thing I don’t
like too much and makes me more than glad that your friend gave those
scars a degree of permanence. I mean, they may have reservations about me
that I didn’t suspect before.’
‘What makes you suspect now?’
‘A rather disquieting remark that one of those gentlemen let drop a few
minutes_ ago – Professor Span, it was. He said he came from Utrecht. He
is firmly of the opinion that the Agnelli brothers come from the same
place.’
‘So?’
‘It may have escaped your memory, sir, but Vasco – Sergeant Westenbrink
– also comes from Utrecht.’
‘Damn id’ De Graaf said softly. The implications had struck him
immediately. ‘Oh, damn it all!’
‘Indeed. Cops and criminals generally have a working knowledge of each
other. Two things may help, though. Vasco spent much of his time in
Utrecht working under cover and he’s been in disguise – sort of – since
he took up residence in Krakerdom. Imponderables, sir, imponderables.’
‘Your continued existence would seem to me to be another imponderable,’
de Graaf said heavily. ‘There is no call -‘
‘Yes, sir, I know, over and above the call of duty. Let’s just say in for
a penny in for a pound, or, if you like, a calculated risk. By my
calculations, the odds are on me.’ He pulled up outside de Graaf’s house.
‘I am glad that I’m not a betting man.’ He peered at his watch.
‘Six-seventeen. If I want to reach you in the next hour or so you will,
of course, be in your room in the Trianon.’
‘Briefly only, sir. For about forty minutes, from, say, six forty-five
onwards, I’ll be in La Caracha.’
‘The devil you will! La Caracha. I thought someone was delivering some
data or whatever it is in the Trianon at sixthirty and that you were
going to study that?’
‘I don’t have to look at it. I know how to operate radiocontrolled
detonations. When I explained to them at length the difficulties involved
in radio detonation, that was for their benefit and my benefit. Their
benefit, to convince them that I
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really was what I purported to be, a whizz-kid in explosives: my benefit,
to find out how much they really knew about the subject, which appears to
be singularly little. Work that one out, sir – why so highly organised a
group is anything but organized in what would appear to be a very – if not
the most -vital department. That’s one of the reasons why I said that by
my calculations the odds are on me – I think they may really need me and
be prepared to lean over just so slightly backwards to give me the benefit
of the doubt.
‘But the real reason for whatever optimism I have lies in La Caracha. You
may remember I asked Vasco to meet me in Julie’s flat. I changed my mind
about that: I think that the further he and I – in iny capacity of
Danilov – keep away from the flat the better. So I’ve arranged to meet
him in La Caracha. I also took the liberty of phoning George and asking
him if he would be interested in giving me a little assistance. He said
he would be more than pleased. I did not – I repeat not, sir – co-opt him
in your name. I thought there were some things you’d rather not know
about – officially, that is.’
‘I see. You have a point. I sometimes wonder, Peter, how many things I
don’t know about, officially and unofficially, but now is not the time
for brooding. I mean, you haven’t the time. And how do you propose to
have those two help guarantee your continued existence?’
‘They will, I hope, be keeping an eye on me. A close eye. Vasco, as I
think I’ve mentioned, has no equal as a shadower. And George – well, he
has other virtues.’
‘So I’ve noticed. May heaven help us all.’
Agnelli’s messenger arrived punctually at six-thirty, less than two
minutes after van Effen had arrived back in his roorn at the Trianon. A
man, van Effen reflected, ideally suited for his task – a small, drab,
unremarkable nonentity of a man who could have been first cousin of the
other nonentity who consumed so remarkably few jonge jenevers in the close
vicinity of the reception desk in the lobby. He handed over a yellow
envelope, said that someone would be around to pick him up at seven
forty-five and left, less than twenty seconds after his arrival.
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‘No,’ Sergeant Westenbrink said. He was seated with van Effen and George in
a small private room in La Caracha. ‘I don’t know the Annecys – the two that
you didn’t put in prison, that is.’
‘Do they know you?’
‘I’m sure they don’t. I never came into contact with them. They left for
Amsterdam about three years ago.’
‘Ah, I’d forgotten. Either of you bear this broadcast that was supposed to
be made to the FFF?’
‘It was made,’ George said. ‘Minister of justice’s house. 8 p.m. Guarantees
of ii-fimunity – I assume the government believed in the threat to turn the
Oostlijk-Flevoland into a new sea.’
‘Well, doesn’t concern us at the moment. You are sure you want to come in
on this, George?’
George seemed to reflect. ‘Could be difficult, even dangerous. There might
even be violence.’ He frowned, then brightened. ‘But one does get so tired
of serving Rodekool met Rolpens.’
‘So. If you’ll be kind enough to have your car outside the Trianon – or,
shall I say, in the discreet vicinity – by sevenforty. Might leave in my
Volkswagen, might be in the car of whoever comes to pick me up. I don’t for
a moment think you’ll lose us but, in any case, you know we’ll be heading
in the general direction of the royal palace.’
George said: ‘Does our Chief of Police know about us – our plans?’
‘He knows about you two and that you’ll be keeping a very careful watch –
I hope – over me: The-rest, no. It would never do for us to go around